We that are young

de Preti Taneja

"A stunning debut novel, a modern-day King Lear set in contemporary India: the tale of a battle for power within a turbulent family, for status within a nation in a constant state of transformation, and for the love and respect of a father disappearing into dementia Jivan Singh, the bastard scion of the Devraj family returns to his New Delhi childhood home at the age of twenty-three after fifteen years in the United States. His arrival coincides with the unexpected resignation of the founder and aging patriarch of the Company--its simple name belying its vast holdings across industry and entertainment, and the family's national renown. On the same day, Sita, Devraj's youngest daughter, disappears--refusing to marry the man her father wants for her. Now, Radha and Gargi, Sita's older sisters, are given the Company--and a brutal struggle for power begins. Set against the backdrop of the anti-corruption riots that spread across India in 2011 and 2012, We That Are Young is brilliant in its fierce, incandescent storytelling and the energy of its prose. It tells a deeply insightful tale of India today, the pace of life in one of the world's fastest growing economies, the clash of youth and age, and the ever-present specter of death. But more than that, it is a novel about the human heart--and its inevitable breaking point"-- "Told in astonishing prose--a great torrent of words and imagery--WE THAT ARE YOUNG is a modern-day King Lear that bursts with energy and fierce, beautifully measured rage. Jivan Singh, the bastard scion of the Devraj family, returns to his childhood home in India after a long absence--only to witness the unexpected resignation of the ageing patriarch from the vast corporation he founded, the Devraj Company. On the same day, Sita, Devraj's youngest daughter, absconds--refusing to submit to the marriage her father wants for her. Meanwhile, Radha and Gargi, Sita's older sisters, are handed the Company . . . And so begins a brutal, deathly struggle for power, ranging over the luxury hotels and spas of New Delhi and Amritsar, the Palaces and slums of Napurthala, to Srinagar, Kashmir. Set against the backdrop of the anti-corruption riots in 2011-2012, it provides startling insights into modern India, the clash of youth and age, the hectic pace of life in one of the world's fastest growing economies--and the ever-present specter of death. More than that, this is a novel about the human heart. And its breaking point"--